


What's in a Name.

by Tin_Can_Iron_Man



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Avengers, Fluff, Nicknames, Other, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 14:09:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12191415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tin_Can_Iron_Man/pseuds/Tin_Can_Iron_Man
Summary: So Tony Stark had nicknames for everyone in the Avengers, but what about Tony's own?(A.K.A I say "Fuck you canon" and shamelessly write Tony Stark acting like an actual cat and cuddling with everyone.)





	What's in a Name.

For a while everyone thought it was annoying.

 

They thought it was  _so_ annoying how Tony acted so so  _so_ alooffrom everyone else, so distant and often times when they tried to get closer to him. He ran away.

 

At first it was because they thought he didn’t like them for some reason.

 

But the thing was, whenever Tony got too sleep deprived or too injured and had to be placed on strong pain medications for him to even move. He became so… _loving_.

 

It freaked everyone out at first. How Tony entered the room trudging over like a zombie to all of them.

 

It freaked everyone out even more when he saw Steve sitting on the couch and he smiled brightly.

 

“Steee–” Was the only thing he said before he flopped down onto the couch, his head on Steves lap. Everyone was frozen in shock, except for Steve, who was frozen because suddenly Tony was snuggling up to him.

 

But they left it alone. They figured.  _It was probably just the drugs talking._

 

But it kept happening. And eventually, as the team grew closer, when “The Avengers” started feeling less like a “unit” and more like a “family.” It started happening much more often. Tony was growing closer to all of them and getting more and more comfortable with each and every Avenger.

 

He’d usually bother Steve in the morning, he would give a smug smile and take Steves untouched and piping hot coffee. (Steve didn’t really need coffee anymore anyway, and started only getting a cup for Tony to “steal”) Tony enjoyed falling onto steve’s lap, like he did the first time.

 

After he usually liked to go and find Clint, who was often binge watching tv shows and movies Tony couldn’t believe he never saw before. (Then again, Clint never had much of a childhood. Tony could understand.) He was never too interested with whatever Clint was watching or not, but he liked placing his arms on Clint’s shoulders to lean on him from behind the couch, occasionally whispering spoilers into his ears and making Clint jump up and yell at him that “ _you don’t spoil things to me!!!”_

 

Tony never really tried to bug Natasha often, but he would often start greeting her entrance into the room with a warm hug. The first time it was an accident. Tony was startled by her and moved on pure instinct. Only to be in shock when he felt her hugging him back. Not it was practically a ritual.

 

Speaking of hugs, harder was better for Tony. Tony sits around and works on his inventions and research for hours and occasionally days at a time, barely moving. He was getting old and his back usually had a constant ache he had grown accustomed to, but never truly comfortable with. He would often try to crack his back for a moment of relief, and nobody does it better than Thor. Thor, who hugs people so hard, you think he’s trying to break you, that was the best kind of hug to Tony. Whenever his pain started acting up too bad, he would stop whatever he was doing and go find Thor. Talk about a  _godsend_. 

 

And finally, there was Bruce. Bruce who Tony would often work with until they were both so tired they could barely keep their eyes open, and then worked some more. Tony loved falling asleep on Bruce’s shoulders or sleeves. His big warm sweaters were the reason. There was something secure and strong underneath the softness and warmth of the fabric, Bruce found it cruelly ironic, Tony found it comforting. 

 

 

The first time it happened it was an accident. An honest to god slip of the tongue. 

 

 

“You’re just like a cat, Tony” Steve shook his head as Tony lazily stretched and sprawled across Steve’s lap, like usual.

 

“Whatever you wanna say, Capsicle.” Tony waved a hand in front of Steve’s face, breaking his concentration from his book. “Look, now I’m a cat.” Tony stuck his tongue out and slapped the book out of his hands. Only because Steve let him, of course. “ _mew, mew.”_ Tony couldn’t stop smiling. Not even when Steve shoved him off to grab his book. He let him back on anyway. 

 

“Whatever you say Tomew–Tony.” Steve kept a straight face as if he hadn’t just said what Tony thought was one of the best things he’s ever heard him say. And he’s often front line and center for Caps battle speeches. 

 

“Tomew? To _mew?_  because I’m like a cat?” Tony was trying not to laugh, he really was, but he ended up doing so anyway. Clapping. 

 

“You give everyone else nicknames Tony, you need one yourself.” 

 

“I do, it’s called _Iron Man.”_

 

“For the last time that’s not a nickname Tony”

 

“Code-names, nicknames, what’s the difference?”

 

“Shut up, Tomew.”

 

It spread like wildfire around the tower. Every few times Tony was mentioned. It was suddenly “and Tomew did this to the guy.” “Ask Tomew if he wants to come.” 

 

Sometimes he would wake up down in the lab with whiskers drawn on his face and “Tomew” written across his forehead. At first he blamed Clint, until he noticed how Bruce was always  _strangely absent_  whenever it happened. And there always seemed to be a full mug of coffee waiting for him when he woke up, as if an apology.

 

Tony often criticized it as not on the same level as the names he gave the others, but they all scoff it off. They know he loves it. And they know he loves them. 

 

 

Tony really was like a cat, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Cat Tony literally gives me the will to live sometimes because it combines like my two favorite things I would die for in an instant.


End file.
